Technician position (M/F)

Job Description

Missions

The recruited person will participate in the experimental monitoring of a cohort of approximately 700 Hydra oligactis hydras, as part of a project focusing on regeneration, tumor development, and the effects of modern environmental stressors in this species.

Their main duties will be as follows:

Ensure the regular feeding of the hydras three times per week, on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday mornings.

Clean the culture plates according to the established experimental schedule.

Participate in the implementation of regeneration tests, including hydra handling, experimental cutting, and the monitoring of regenerating fragments.

Carry out photographic monitoring of individuals under a stereomicroscope, before and after cutting, and throughout the regeneration process.

Record experimental data on a daily basis relating to regeneration, tumor appearance, tumor stage, budding, and mortality.

Enter, organize, and check data in Excel files.

Manage, classify, and archive the photographic files produced during the experimental monitoring.

Contribute to the general maintenance of the laboratory's hydra cultures.

In addition, the recruited person may also be asked to contribute to the maintenance of planarian cultures, as well as to occasional field sampling of hydras and planarians in the Montpellier area.

Activity

The recruited person will be responsible for the operational implementation of the experimental monitoring of a cohort of Hydra oligactis hydras, as part of a project focusing on regeneration, tumor development, and responses to different experimental stressors.

Their main activities will consist of:

Ensuring the routine maintenance of hydra cultures, including feeding, cleaning of culture plates, and monitoring of culture conditions.

Implementing the experimental protocols defined by the team, in particular the regeneration tests performed on the monitored individuals.

Carrying out experimental manipulations under a stereomicroscope, including standardized cutting of hydras and monitoring of regenerating fragments.

Performing the morphological observations required to monitor regeneration, tumor development, budding, and mortality.

Acquiring images under a stereomicroscope according to a predefined monitoring schedule.

Checking the quality of the photographs produced and ensuring their naming, classification, and archiving according to a standardized organization system.

Entering experimental data daily into dedicated Excel spreadsheets.

Checking the consistency of the entered data and reporting any anomaly or particular observation.

Contributing to the material organization of the experiments, the preparation of culture plates, and the monitoring of the experimental schedule.

Participating in the general maintenance of the laboratory's hydra cultures.

Providing occasional support for the maintenance of planarian cultures, according to the needs of the team.

Participating, where appropriate, in field sampling of hydras and planarians in the Montpellier area.

Your Profil

Skills

The recruited person must have training in biology at a minimum level of BTS, DUT, or Bachelor's degree, as well as a strong interest in experimental work on living organisms.

The expected skills are as follows:

General knowledge of animal biology, experimental biology, or evolutionary ecology.

Knowledge of the basic rules of laboratory work, particularly with regard to hygiene, safety, and traceability.

Ability to handle small aquatic organisms with precision, or willingness to be trained in this type of manipulation.

Ability to carry out morphological observations under a stereomicroscope.

Rigor in applying standardized experimental protocols.

Ability to ensure regular and reliable monitoring of experimental cultures.

Proficiency in common office software, particularly Excel, for data entry, organization, and verification.

Organizational skills for managing photographic files, spreadsheets, and experimental data.

Ability to work independently while regularly reporting to the supervisory team.

Rigor, patience, meticulousness, and a keen sense of observation.

Good interpersonal skills and ability to work as part of a team.

Previous experience in the management of experimental cultures, the handling of aquatic invertebrates, image acquisition under a stereomicroscope, or the use of R software would be an asset.

Your Work Environment

The recruited person will join a research team working on the evolutionary ecology of cancer and regeneration processes within the MIVEGEC unit in Montpellier. The position is part of an experimental project focusing on the interactions between environmental stressors, tumor development, clonal reproduction, and regeneration capacities in the hydra Hydra oligactis.

The work will be carried out in close collaboration with the team leader, the assistant engineer in charge of the cultures, and the PhD student responsible for the project. The recruited person will participate in the daily monitoring of an experimental cohort of hydras, in a laboratory environment requiring rigor, regularity, and care in the handling of small living organisms.

The activities will take place mainly in the laboratory and will involve manipulations under a stereomicroscope, maintenance of cultures, image acquisition, and entry of experimental data. The position requires strict adherence to established protocols, good organization in the monitoring of samples and files, and the ability to work reliably on long-term experimental follow-ups.

The recruited person may also be asked to contribute occasionally to the maintenance of other biological models used by the team, in particular planarians, as well as to field sampling activities around Montpellier.

Constraints and risks

The position involves the daily experimental monitoring of living organisms. Certain activities must be carried out at specific times in order to comply with the experimental protocol and ensure the quality of the data collected.

The manipulations require rigor, precision, and sustained attention, particularly during observations under a stereomicroscope, photographic imaging, and regeneration tests. The work may involve repetitive tasks related to the daily monitoring of individuals, data entry, and the organization of photographic files.

The risks associated with the position are limited and mainly correspond to the standard risks of working in a biology laboratory: handling small dissection instruments, using optical equipment, prolonged work under a stereomicroscope, handling culture plates, and complying with hygiene and safety rules. The organisms handled, hydras and planarians, are not known to present any particular infectious risk under the planned culture conditions.

During occasional field sampling activities around Montpellier, the recruited person will be required to follow safety instructions related to fieldwork, particularly in aquatic or wet environments, and to wear appropriate equipment when necessary.

Compensation and benefits

Compensation

Between 2 095,71 € and 2 259,55 €

Annual leave and RTT

44 jours

Remote Working practice and compensation

Pratique et indemnisation du TT

Transport

Prise en charge à 75% du coût et forfait mobilité durable jusqu’à 300€

About the offer

About the CNRS

The CNRS is a major player in fundamental research on a global scale. The CNRS is the only French organization active in all scientific fields. Its unique position as a multi-specialist allows it to bring together different disciplines to address the most important challenges of the contemporary world, in connection with the actors of change.

CNRS

The research professions